Dr. Jeff Cornwall is the inaugural Jack C. Massey Chair in Entrepreneurship at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. Dr. Cornwall's current research and teaching interests include entrepreneurial finance and entrepreneurial ethics.

Dr. Jeff Cornwall is the inaugural Jack C. Massey Chair in Entrepreneurship at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. Dr. Cornwall's current research and teaching interests include entrepreneurial finance and entrepreneurial ethics.

You need to be a little crazy?Networking is not a verb

Q: Barry, you argue against something that many entrepreneurs are taught from day one, that is, the value of networking. Why do you think that networking, as it has become known in our business culture is basically a pointless activity?
A: Too many people think that networking is sticking out your right hand to shake another person’s hand and simultaneously giving them your business card. Immediately, they say who they are and what they want or are looking for. Real relationships are built over a long period of time. You need to build trust capital or relationship capital and that takes time and effort. Don’t try to trade on relationships too soon. Always ask what you can do for that person before asking for yourself. As Tim Sanders says. “be a lovecat” but connecting people of like interests together.

The Language of Business

Whenever I talk to entrepreneurs, serve as their consultant, or teach them in my classes I always have one consistent message. They have to become financially literate to improve their chances of success in their ventures. In fact, I believe this so strongly that I wrote a book on the topic! Bradley Feld has written a summary of some of what he believes are the key aspects of sound financial management for entrepreneurs. Most of what he writes is right on target.

Continue reading The Language of Business

Exiting your entrepreneurial venture: seller beware

There is an excellent article by an entrepreneur named Alan J. Smith over at Kauffman Foundation?s EntreWorld web site on what lessons he learned from exiting his own business. One cannot over emphasize the importance of planning ahead for an exit, being fully educated about the options and their consequences, and being fully engaged in the actual exit process.

Continue reading Exiting your entrepreneurial venture: seller beware

Business Book Blog Tour

Come one and come all! Join in the business book blog tour next week. This segment of the tour will be featuring Barry Moltz’s book “You Need to be a Little Crazy”. The tour will visit the Entrepreneurial Mind on Thursday, February 5th. Barry will be making stops at my site throughout the day to join in the discussion on his book and his premise that you need to be a little crazy to be an entrepreneur. It should be great fun! For all of the stops on this book tour next week, visit this site.